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Rugby Australia chief executive Raelene Castle has announced she will take a 50% pay after the game’s governing body reported a provisional A$9.4-million deficit for 2019.

Castle refused to put a dollar figure on the pay cut players will need to take, but warned ‘significant cuts’ were required to remain ‘financially viable in the short term’. This comes after Rugby Australia on Monday announced a preliminary $9.4-million loss for 2019 amid the global coronavirus pandemic.

Speaking via teleconference to media on Monday afternoon, Castle, who is paid A$800,000 a year, confirmed her annual salary would be halved, while revealing other RA executives had been asked to take a 30% pay cut.

‘I’m taking a 50% pay cut and the senior executives will be taking a 30% pay cut,’ Castle said. ‘I think that’s a pretty good start point to set an example of how important an issue I think this is.’

Castle offered no specific update as to how many administrative staff at RA would be either stood down or moved on. The organisation is waiting on the expected announcement of a federal government wage subsidies package.

‘Over the last 10 days we’ve done nothing but scenarios around how we can take cost out of the business and that includes all the different contracts we could stop,’ Castle said. ‘There is no doubt that across our business, including staff, we are going to have to have some very difficult conversations.

‘However, we know the government are trying to make some announcements to support staff so they get supported. We’re in dialogue with the government to understand what that allowance looks like so that we can factor that into our decision-making.’

In a statement, RA said its legal settlement with Israel Folau was one of the main reasons the governing body suffered such a big financial loss last year.